Luca Harrington finishes sixth in Winter Olympics big air final
New Zealand’s Luca Harrington during the Freeski Big Air final at the 2026 Winter OLympics.
Photo: KIRILL KUDRYAVTSEV / AFP
WΔnaka freeskier Luca Harrington has missed out on a medal in the Big Air final at the Winter Olympics.
Harrington finished sixth, with Tormod Frostad of Norway winning the gold medal.
The event was delayed slightly because of falling snow which had postponed a number of events earlier in the day.
Harrington dropped eighth and shot to the lead with his first jump which was a high difficulty switch rightside triple cork 1980 which scored 94.00.
However by the end of the first run he had dropped to fourth place with Norwegian Tormod Frostad leading on 95.25.
New Zealand’s Luca Harrington reacts after competing in the freestyle skiing men’s freeski big air final run 3 during the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games, 17 February 2026.
Photo: AFP / Kirill Kudryavtsev
The 21-year-old dropped to fifth after scoring just 25.75 on his second run when he failed to stick his landing from a left side triple cork 1980, while Frostad continuing to lead the way.
Harrington, the 2025 world champion, repeated the same trick on his third run and while he improved, his score of 66.50 wasn’t enough to make an impression on the leaders.
Frostad finished on top with a combined score of 195.5 to claim the gold medal, with American Mac Forehand taking silver and Matej Svancer of Austria taking bronze.
Harrington’s total was 160.50.
“Unfortunately couldn’t put down the second trick the way I wanted to tonight, that’s how it goes and I’m still proud of my skiing,” Harrington told Sky Sport afterwards.
“We had a plan and we wanted to stick with it. I came out here with the goal to do these two tricks and I really wanted to make myself proud to do that and execute it the way I wanted to and it is a shame when it doesn’t go to plan. I’m still proud of myself for giving it everything.
“It’s usually a time like this where I’ll feel really sad and bummed that I didn’t perform my best but I’m so honoured to be here and be a part of that event tonight and for putting it all out on the line.
“I’ve had a crazy journey to get here and I walked away with one medal, (I) was getting greedy looking for two, but to get a medal is pretty incredible.”
Last week Harrington won bronze in the men’s slopestyle.
The women’s Snowboard Slopestyle final, which involved Zoi Sadowski-Synnott, was one of the events postponed and will now be run Thursday 2.30am (NZ time).
Dane Menzies will compete in the men’s Slopestyle final on Wednesday 11.20pm (NZ time)
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